Apple Stores Gearing Up For A 4G iPhone? [Updated]

One day after a report surfaced that said iPhone carriers were testing out 4G handsets, comes word that a major Apple Store is doing the same. Do these separate news stories almost confirm the iPhone 5 will be 4G-supported? According to Engadget, they received the image shown above of some “4G LTE equipment that was recently installed in a major Apple store – by AT&T.” They state:

Making things somewhat more interesting is the equipment itself, one piece of which supports only the 700MHz and AWS bands -- both of which AT&T plans to use for its LTE network if the T-Mobile acquisition goes through.

In addition, we are told that the Apple Store in question, and all those in the region are trying to increase staffing on the sales floor by 30 percent. This story follows a similar one posted later in the day by 9 To 5 Mac suggesting that Verizon too is installing 4G equipment in Apple Stores. The installation of 4G-related equipment at Apple Stores could mean one of two things. First, it could suggest Apple will soon announce the iPhone 5 with 4G capabilities. Or, maybe its just being used for in-store connectivity or for backup purposes. At first, rumors suggested the next iPhone would not support 4G, mainly due to battery constraints. However, perhaps Apple has figured those issues out and will release a handset that is 4G capable. When fully implemented, 4G will replace 3G networks, offering users faster download and upload speeds.  

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